Hoax Threat Emails Jolt University Of Dallas, Rattle DFW Campuses

Campus police say Jan. 22 DFW email threats were hoaxes; FBI and local agencies probed the messages while DBU evacuated and later reopened.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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On January 22, the University of Dallas and other Dallas-Fort Worth colleges received threatening emails, leading to increased patrols and high tensions on campus. While the university stayed open, Dallas Baptist University canceled classes and evacuated its campus. Campus and law enforcement sources described the messages as part of a broader run of unverified threats across North Texas that officials treated as serious even when they ultimately looked suspicious.

Why it matters

Universities rely on emergency notification systems to quickly warn students of potential threats, but have to balance taking all threats seriously while also verifying their credibility. This incident highlights the challenges campuses face in responding to hoax threats and coordinating with law enforcement agencies to investigate the origin of such messages.

The details

The threatening emails were mostly copy-and-paste jobs with names swapped in, according to University of Dallas police chief Russell Greene. The FBI, Dallas Police, and Irving Police concluded the messages were not credible, but the FBI has assigned an agent to investigate where they came from. While UD stayed open, Dallas Baptist University canceled classes and evacuated its campus, later resuming on January 23 after a security sweep.

  • On January 22, the University of Dallas and other Dallas-Fort Worth colleges received threatening emails.
  • On January 22, Dallas Baptist University canceled classes and evacuated its campus after a bomb threat, later resuming on January 23.

The players

Russell Greene

University of Dallas police chief.

Dallas Baptist University

A university in Dallas, Texas that evacuated its campus on January 22 after receiving a bomb threat.

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What they’re saying

“received emails to random staff threatening violence on our campus" and that the recipients "immediately contacted UDPD”

— Russell Greene, University of Dallas police chief (The Cor Chronicle)

What’s next

Investigators noted that digital forensics can move slowly and often crosses jurisdictions, so agencies keep treating these kinds of messages as potentially serious until they can firmly rule them out. The FBI has assigned an agent to investigate the origin of the threatening emails.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the challenges universities face in quickly responding to potential threats while also verifying their credibility, and the importance of coordination between campus police and municipal and federal law enforcement agencies when multiple campuses are targeted.